Monday, April 8, 2013

One of the good things about being a blogger for so long is that you know me well enough not to be surprised to find one lemon recipe after another around here. :)
These bars come from Alice Medrich's great book on cookies and are a variation of a recipe I made a while ago; both versions are delicious and to this moment I haven't been able to decide which one is my favorite - I guess you'll have to bake both and let me know which one you prefer. ;)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a 20cm (8in) square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang in two opposite sides. Butter the foil.
Crust: place the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until smooth. Press dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fully baked and golden brown in the center.
Towards the end of the cooking time of the crust, make the topping: in a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the preserves, breaking up any large pieces, then stir in the lemon juice. When the crust is ready, turn the oven down to 150°C/300°F. Pour the filling over the crust. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the topping no longer jiggles with the pan is tapped. Cool completely over a wire rack.
Lift up the bars using the foil and cut into bars.
Bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Patricia, I do hope you have a lemon tree in your backyard, given the addiction you have to all things lemon!We have a lime tree, so I always substitute lemon for lime in recipes. It's just as good, if not better.